Current Affairs: 18th July

Pema Khandu (36) of Congress Party was sworn in as the 10th Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh.

Union Commerce Ministry has launched an e-marketplace portal for online purchase of goods and services by various central government ministries and departments.

Portal has been developed by the Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D).

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN cultural agency has added 9 new sites on its World Heritage List.

Site added from India:

Nalanda Mahavihara (India):

Situated at Nalanda, Bihar

Nalanda Mahavihara was founded by Kumargupta I of the Gupta dynasty in 5th century CE.

It was patronized by various rulers including King Harshavardhana of Kannauj (7th century CE) and the Pala rulers (8th to 12th century CE)

Khangchendzonga National Park (KNP)

Located in Sikkim

Capitol Complex, Chandigarh

Includes the Legislative Assembly, Secretariat and High Court

Designed by French architect Le Corbusier.

Madhya Pradesh became the first state in India to have ‘Happiness Department’ that will work as knowledge resource centre on the subject of happiness on the lines of Bhutan.

Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) and US-based Bell Helicopter have signed a deal to jointly develop the helicopter market in India.

Union Government has launched Transforming India Website (www.transformingindia.mygov.in), a platform for sharing the impact of various governance initiatives with citizens in real-time.

It shall also be a social platform where users can share their opinions about various initiatives of the government.

The first paperless e-court in the Hyderabad High Court got inaugurated here on Sunday.

Over 250 dead in failed Turkey Coup

Capital: Ankara (and not Instanbul)

President: Erdogan

Coup by: Military

Why: Because of his dictatorial policies, curbing freedom of speech etc.

Why failed: Military thought because of his dictatorial policies, people will support the coup but people did not support, instead they supported President. They agree that he is bad leader but they don’t want military to solve this problem, they want to do it democratically through elections.

Department of Chemistry , IIT Madras has secured $18 million (about Rs.120 crore) funding, to further develop its nanomaterials-based water technology that is currently used in India to remove arsenic from drinking water.

A sophisticated measuring instrument on board NASA’s Aura spacecraft has located 39 hitherto unreported sources of sulphur dioxide around the globe.